Sam's doing design theory

Friday, November 4, 2011

Looking at these two pieces we can clearly see that they similar items of jewellery, both pendants yet they look very different. There are many similarities and many differences in these pendants

Looking at pendant A, it is a hollow constructed box that has a hidden pearl inside. The box looks like it has been made of white metal. To manufacture this box the manufacturer has taken sheet metal and made a square lid and base and for the sides has take two longer strips of sheet metal and bent it in half to make an “L”shape then soldered the two “L”s to made a square. The manufacturer has drilled holes in the bottom of the box. The pearl has been threaded onto a chain and then the chain has been thread through the holes. Another two holes have been drilled in the lid of the box and the chain has been threaded through there too. This pendant is looks like it should be worn on a long chain so it hangs in front of the ribs, just above the belly. The pendant is very cleverly made by the designer so that the audience becomes curious as to what is in the box when it is closed and when they open it are surprised by a delicate pearl. The symbolism behind the piece I think is that beauty can be hidden and by taking the effort to “open the box”or getting to know someone better or deeper we get to experience their inner beauty, like the pearl.

Looking at pendant B, it is a hollow constructed round pendant made from white metal with a pearl set in it. The manufacturer has taken sheet metal and pierced out two circles which he/she has then domed slightly to exactly the same size and soldered together. A half circle has then been pierced out of the top of the two domes, this is where the pearl sits. The bale is very simple, a jump ring that has been attached to the pearl. This pendant looks like it could be worn on either a long or short chain. It looks like it is quite large compare to the average pendant so it would not be a piece you could wear every day, I would imagine you would wear it on special occasions. By making the pendant round and placing the pearl were he/she did, the manufacturer has brought about the feeling of elegance and sophistication. The manufacturer has also added to this elegance by making the bale small and round, small so that it does not detract from the main piece and round so that it fits with the whole smooth flow of the piece.

Many similarities and differences can been seen in these two pieces. The most common similarity is that both pieces are pendants that have been hollow constructed. Although pendant A is very rectilinear and square whereas Pendant B is very curvilinear and round. Both of these pendants contain pearls the only difference in that Pendant A has a white/cream coloured pearl and Pendant B contains a black pearl.boh pendant A and B have a matt finish. Another difference between these two pendants is that pendant B has a bale whereas pendant A does not. Lastly Pendant B is a solid piece pendant meaning it does not open or come apart and pendant A is a box that opens and can be worn in many different ways.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Looking at these two pieces we can clearly see that they similar items of jewellery, both pendants yet they look very different. There are many similarities and many differences in these pendants.

Looking at the first piece The Chamber Heart locket by Thomas Mann, we can see that it is a heart shaped locket pendant. It has been made of two different metals namely silver and brass. The heart has been domed and the surface of the metal has been textured either through roll pressing of another technique like etching with zigzags in c shaped curves and round punch holes. The pattern although random has been evenly distributed over the surface. The locket also has a hinge that has been made of brass and riveted to the silver heart. The locket also has a jumping that the chain with the shepherds hook can attach to “lock” the locket. The bale looks like it has been made of different thicknesses of chenier that have been soldered together and a whole has been drilled into it in order for the necklace to thread through it. I think this design has a contrast between mechanical (the hinge and bale) and organic (heart).

The phoenix pendant by Tom Ferreror is round and made of 2 different metals namely silver and gold. The pendant is made of two plates that have been slightly domed and the surface has been textured with a floral pattern either by roll pressing or etching. A triangular shape has been pierced out of the base and top plate but still leaving the round rim. A piece of gold plate has been soldered onto the plates to close the hole. A gold cabochon setting has been attached to the outer rim in the centre of the triangle with a brown Zircon. The bale is made from two jump rings that have been soldered to the outer rim.

There are many similarities in these pieces by Mann and Ferreror, both items of jewellery are pendants which can be seen clearly and they are both hollow construction. The pendants are similar in size and have been domed in some way. Both pieces are made of two different metals yet the locket is made of silver and brass and the phoenix pendant has been made of solver and gold. In both pieces surface treatments have been used, the locket has a more geometric and random pattern whereas the phoenix has a more symmetrical organic texture that forms a picture. The pendants both have irregular bales. The heart locket has a hinge and has movement whereas the phoenix locket is all soldered together and has no movement. The phoenix pendant has a stone set on it whereas the locket does not. Another similarity is that both pendants have a matt finish.

Friday, October 7, 2011

At a glance Oscar Abba's pieces could be mistaken for bits of scrambled metal scratched out of a metal recycling bin! On closer inspection one notices meticulous precision in manufacture and craft.

Write 300 words analysing the above 3 pieces. Some of the following concepts may help you with your discussion; preciousness (in material and form), abstract use of form, relationship of craft (technique) and design, surprise and contrast.

Answer:

If I look at Oscars work as a whole these pieces sort of look a little random and not very well thought out, almost like he had made them in a few seconds with no real planning or effort, but if you look at the closer you will find that a lot of thought has gone into these pieces, where every individual piece needs to be soldered and how every individual piece would be placed.

The collection as a whole has a very organic and curvilinear feel. Oscar has places the individual elements of each piece together in such a way that he has created form and volume in each piece. Volume has also been created in the way each individual piece of metal has been sculpted and formed. He has used form in a very abstract way which I think has been very effective. The pieces as a whole are very pleasing to the eye because they are so organic and the use of metal to form curvilinear lines form pathways for our eyes to follow. This also leads to the pieces having continuity, there is no place the eye is lead to that is a dead end the lines continue following the sculpted metal around the piece. The technique he has used to masterfully sculpt the metal to portray the idea of paper is been very effectively achieved. There is also an element of contrast that he has used between paper and metal, paper is soft and can be effortlessly formed and will not hold its form very easily, whereas metal is very hard and takes a lot of work to be sculpted into different shapes and will hold its form. Another contrast created between paper and metal is that paper is perceived as very light whereas metal is thought of as being heavy.

I think Oscar has very effectively and masterfully created a collection that is unusual. A collection that has form and body, without weight.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Andrea was born in Bogota, Colombia in 1972. She studied a Professional diploma in industrial design at the university Javeriana and basic jewellery at Escuela de diseño in 1997. In 1999 she got her Professional Aptitude Certificate (CAP) in jewellery from the Academy of Paris and also studied at AFEDAP(Group member Arcane, Association for the Promotion of Contemporary Jewellery) School of Contemporary Jewellery Advanced Jewellery in Paris. After training as a designer in Paris and Bogota she now specializes in jewellery. She lives and teaches jewellery in Paris. She draws her inspiration from the wellspring of life and her themes are derived from this reservoir. She has endless possibilities for her expressions from twisted wire to plate repercee which all shows the rhythm of her thinking, to bring to life the intangibles. Her creations are miniature stories, creating a language about everything around her. This is her views on her jewellery[1]”Designer at first, I express myself throw jewelry. My work go beyond commercial or decorative. It does not follow trends which will be forgotten and left in the blink of an eye. My jewels are long lasting, travelers and witnesses, as they become a part of you. Sensitive to my daily context, I takes subjects as the man in the city, the skin: the valuable content, the nature: strength and fragility, “cosmique”: our collective unconscious, among others.
This way, my jewels always have their own history, becoming real beings. As a result, my works are delicate and dynamic jewels, linked together by the technique. They invite us to be discovered, to be watched, and become one with one whit them.”

I chose this ring by Andrea. It displays quite a few design principles. Firstly we can see the use of repetition Andrea has repeated the squiggles or curvilinear lines very effectively, they are not all exactly the same but repetition is still seen. we can also feel the movement in the ring, by making the squiggles just thin lines. Andrea was able to create movement by making our eye want to follow the pattern the lines create and she has also locked the very irregular shapes that almost look like liquid in a thicker shape that even though not so curvy is also irregular. I think this ring also displays the sense of balance, even though it is very busy on the right side and very empty on the left the ring still feels balanced because of the shape of the outer band locking the squiggles in. This ring definitely has a focal point, the squiggles; we immediately look at them when looking at the ring. There is also contrast created in this ring by the way Andrea has placed the curvilinear lines and movement on one side of the ring and left the opposite side very empty, this also adds to the sense of balance. I think the overall composition of this ring was very well thought out and designed really well.

These earrings are another one of Andrea’s creations. The main principle displayed in these is radial balance because of the way the sun shapes get bigger and point outwards. We also see the principle of rhythm by the way the curvy lines squiggle they create a rhythm for the eye. We also get the feeling of direction and movement, in this piece the eye follows the squiggly lines and the way the lines bend also causes your eye to want to follow either from the outside shape in or from the centre out. These earrings display the principle of unity and harmony because the three different circular shapes that make up the earrings are similar to each other, this also makes us feel at ease. These earrings are very organic and asymmetrical. The overall composition was well thought-out and is interesting.

This is a brooch made by Andrea and once again many principles have been used. This piece is from her collection called Circulaire which means circular. It is called Pin Social Sphere.She has used a variety of materials in this piece such as 925 silver and cotton yarn.The first thing we notice when we look at this brooch is the black/dark circle, even though it is off centre your eye is drawn to it, because it contrasts so well with the thin delicate cotton and the other circle which is empty whereas the dark circle is very solid and dominating. We can also see radial balance created by the way the thin cotton has been placed (sort of in the shape of a sun). Direction and movement can also be felt, your eyes want to follow the protrusions and the irregular circular shapes. The way Andrea has used two irregular circles that are big and two regular small circles create contrast as well, not only by the regular and irregular, but by size too. Even though there is a lot going on in this brooch, lots of things your eyes want to follow, there is still harmony and unity in this piece. We don’t feel uncomfortable when we look at it which tells us that the way all the elements of the piece were placed was thought out properly and carefully.

This brooch is one of Andrea’s pieces that come from her collection called Jardins Suspendus which means hanging garden. This particular piece is called Pin Two Worlds.It is made of a variety of interesting materials which include silver, plexiglass and paper. The focal point of the drawing is the black and white face in the centre of the brooch. Repetition has also been used in this piece, she has repeated the similar shapes on the right (very curvy lines) and left (not so curvy lines). We also see a contrast between the thick lines created with the silver on the right side of the piece and the very thin lines on the left side of the piece. Movement is created very effectively by how the lines are bent. Large amounts of movement are created on the left of the brooch because the lines are really curvy and repeated. The movement on the right hand side of this piece is very subtle your eyes are guided slowly from the face around the piece and back to the face. We can also see a contrast in movement between the left and right side of the brooch. Andrea has made the lines thinner with a lot of movement on the left and thick lines with minimal movement on the right, this creates a good balance between weight and movement. I think this piece has been well thought out by Andrea. It is a very unusual piece but the way she has used all the different elements so effectively she has made it work.

Maria Goti

Maria was born on the 24 of December 1985 in Oviedo, Asturias(Spain). She lived in a village on the western coast of Asturias called Navia. When she was 17 she moved back to Oviedo to study jewellery, setting, wax casting and gemology at the European Centre of Gemmology and Jewellery at Oviedo's University for 3 years from 2003 to 2005. In 2005 she participated in a yearlong perfectioning course in Jewellery and Setting at the Jewellery and Gemmology European Center and in 2007 she did a resins course in Barcelona with Elvira López del Prado. When she finished her studies she decided to open her own jewellery workshop in Navia, where she has been working from since 2006 and where she has a permanent exhibition of her work. All her pieces have a metal base which is always silver and she uses different finishes and textures. She combines many elements with the silver these include gold, copper oxides, resins, natural stones, pearls, wood or any other material that offers her the desired result. Her favourite materials to use are oxidised silver, texturized silver, natural gemstones, druzy (a layer of crystals that form within a mineral crust) and of course silver. This is what Marias views and inspirations of her jewellery are and why she does what she does,[1]” My passion for jewellery is due to my restless personality and my love for art, promoted from childhood by my family. My collections are very diverse because of this concern so I feel totally identified with the work I do. I live in Asturias, which is defined as a natural paradise, so my inspiration comes from the environment around me: nature, sea, mountains. Starting from learning classical jewellery I try to evolve into new forms of artistic expression, experimenting with new techniques and finishes. Many times the material itself inspires me and shows me the way to create. Above all I love working with and for unique stones.”

This ring is one of Marias pieces that I think is very interesting and displays many design principles.Maria has used a variety of metals and techniques to create this piece she used texturised 925 sterling silver, oxidised 925 sterling silver, 18kt Gold and natural Rutilated Quartz. The first principle that I immediately notice was how Maria uses repetition so effectively, the shape that is framing the stone is repeated just places in a different position. By using this repetition she has created a focal point of the ring, the Rutilated Quartz. Your eye is lead by the outer shape in to the inner shape then to the Quartz. The gold balls that have been placed on the outer shape also create movement. Maria has placed them from bigger to smaller which makes our eye immediately follow them and eventually get drawn into the Quartz. There is also contrast created between the textured silver that surrounds the Quartz and the smoothness of the stone itself, and also a contrast between the how big the stone is compared to the small gold balls which also emphasizes the stone. There is a good balance between the big Quartz and the other finer features of the ring, even tho the Quartz is the main focal point or feature it does not overpower the other finer details in any way. The weight looks like it is distributed evenly in this piece. The overall composition of the ring is very effective and is beautiful, it is bold yet delicate and feminine, Maria has designed this ring with a lot of thought and it shows.

This is another creation that Maria has made, it is a brooch. She has once again used a variety of materials to make it, 925 sterling silver with an oxidized-textured finish, 18ct yellow gold, and 7 white cultured pearls. The thing that caught my eye first about this ring is how effectively she has used the oxidized sliver to create lines which your eyes immediately follow. She has used two pieces of silver that are the same shape repeated at different angles but in the same direction which draws your eyes from the bottom of the brooch to the feature at the top (the circle with the pearl). I almost feel that the small circle with the pearl inside it is the focal point for me because my eyes immediately follow the lines there and Maria has also placed pearls on the bigger circle which are evenly spaces and then the 7th pearl is further apart, so your eyes follow the uniform pearly to the one that seems out of place. There is also contrast displayed in this composition by the use of white pearls and the black oxidized silver, the white pearls stand out really well. Maria has once again used repetition to create a rhythm and balance by using a big circle to almost enclose the brooch and a smaller circle to enclose the pearl. The business and irregularity of the right hand side of the brooch is well balanced by the very simple uniform left hand side of the brooch. I really like this brooch, I feel it is different and she has created a totally different approach to pearls because we are so used to just seeing them in strings around people necks that we almost don’t think they can be used effectively any other way, but I really think Maria has achieved that.

This ring of Maria’s came from the same collection as the brooch above. The EL VIEJO BALANCIN collection. El viejo balancin means the old rocking. This collection was inspired by an old rocker she used to play in when she was a child. This ring is made of a variety of metals and techniques; it’s made of 925 sterling silver with an oxidized-texturised finish, 18ct yellow gold, and 5 white cultured pearls. The first thing that strikes me about this ring is how much movement is created in it by the way Maria has placed the pieces of metal. Your eye moves from left to right along the long curved pieces of metal then it is also guided up and down by the vertical pieces of metal. I don’t think this ring has a main focal point because the lines lead your eyes in different directions and they don’t end at a particular point. The balance of the ring was very well thought out by Maria. The way she has placed the vertical lines on each end of the horizontal lines puts your mind at ease. The weight looks evenly distributed and the way the pearls are placed, two very close together on the far side and the other two quite far apart also contributes to the balance of the piece. The vertical lines are very regular and straight on the far end and the pearls in a line and evenly spaced but on the opposite end the lines are more irregular and the pearls don’t seem to have a set structure, they almost look randomly placed, this causes contrast in the piece as well as the white pearls on the black of the metal. This helps the pearls stand out. The gold ball seems to be placed randomly but I think it also adds to the balance and overall composition, because there are an odd number of pearls. The gold ball puts the mind at ease but almost substituting for a pearl. I think this ring is a very creative design and is very delicate because of all the thin pieces of metal it is made up of. I really like this ring of Marias and think it is an interesting design that has had a lot of thought put into it.

This is a pendant made from texturized 925 sterling silver, a natural Rutilated Quartz and 18ct Gold. In this pendent we can see the principle of repetition. Maria has very effectively used it by repeating the shape of the stone in silver. This helps to make the stone stand out as the focal point more effectively. Maria has not only used a variety of materials but also a variety of textures, each layer of silver has its own texture which adds to the contrast of the piece. The smoothness of the stone is then emphasized more because the silver below it is not smooth but very textured. Maria has also used the contrast between solid and empty very effectively because, by making the shape below the stone just the “outline” and the shape below that solid she has made the piece more delicate and adds to the balance of the piece. If all the shapes were solid silver I think they would overpower the stone as the focal point. Maria has placed the gold balls very thoughtfully, by placing them on the very bottom shape, she has created another dimension to her design and also not overpowered the focal point, the stone. The gold balls have been placed from small to large which in a way creates movement; your eye wants to follow the balls either up or down. I think by adding the gold balls, Maria has created a good balance in the piece between the stone and the silver shape. All the shapes are uniform and in proportion to each other, which also helps to put your mind at ease and creates a sense of harmony and unity between the different elements that make up the piece. I think this is a very successful composition that has been made with love and a lot of thought.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

PhilipTreacy is an Irish milliner and is considered the most famous milliner and hat designer alive. He is amongst the ten most recognised fashion designers in the world. If you watched the royal wedding you would have seen some of his creations. His hats are amazing!

Philip was born in 1967 in a tiny village called Ahascragh in County Galway west of Ireland. He is one of 9 children, 7 brothers and a sister. Their house was across the road from a church and Philip says:”As a small child I loved to watch weddings there. They were the equivalent of fashion shows to me. The dresses that people wore, I couldn’t believe them, they were incredible. It seemed so glamorous to see these creatures appear in these extra ordinary clothes, as we didn’t have much glamour where I came from.”

Philip started sewing at the age of 5 where he started making dresses and hats for his sister’s dolls from the feathers he found in the garden from his mothers chickens, ducks, geese and pheasants.

In 1985 Treacy moved to Dublin where he studied fashion at the National College of art and design. He says;”I would make hats as a hobby to go with the outfits I designed.” At the age of 21 he won a position in the MA fashion design course at the Royal college of Art in London and graduated in 1990.Philip set up a workshop in his basement. Treacy opened his first store in 1993,from then on he has won many awards and designed hats for many famous people including Alexander McQueen's white Haute Couture collection, for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and Givenchy in Paris. He has designed hats for many films such as the films. He designed the hat Sarah Jessica Parker's wore for the premier of Sex and the City. Recently we saw that Thirty-six of Treacy's hats were worn at the Royal wedding, such as the hat worn by Princess Beatrice of York.

The design I chose is a hat he made for a competition Lyon tea was running. The hat was on display at the Lyons Gold Blend tent at the Taste of Dublin in June 2009.

There are many design element displayed in this hat. This design is very asymmetrical but yet still has balance the bulge on the left hand side is counteracted by the long wispy feathers on the left. Contrast is illustrated very well in this design by using black and red feathers, the red stands out dramatically against the black which is very effective. The way the feathers are placed created a feeling of form and volume. Movement is also created by the specific way the feathers are placed and our eyes are directed by the curved lines the feathers create from left to right. The balance of the swooping and curving lines created by the feathers, it sits naturally upon a person’s head, the proportions of the hat compliment those of the body and the lines extend and dramatize the planes of the face. The overall composition of the hat is very well thought out.

This hat was inspired by the fluid movement of how Lyon Gold Blend tea swirls in the cup as it is poured and how the tea bag and leaves infuse the water.The hat is made of hand died pheasant feathers (the black feathers) and red coq feathers all curled using Treacy’s signature technique. Each and every feather was shaped curled and placed individually onto the hat to create this eye-catching three dimensional masterpiece.